It's Like Peeling Onions
by Kavbj
Summary: "I do not appreciate being likened to a vegetable." During Neji's recuperation after the activation of his curse seal, Shikamaru finds himself discovering the true Hyuuga prodigy and Branch Pet, and he's determined to get to the core. "You, Neji, I'm seeing you." ShikaNeji.
1. Seconds

**So this, ladies and gentlemen, would be my first time writing for the Naruto fandom. I know - I don't know what the hell took me so long either. This story is a little project in the making and will be a little touch and go, I guess. I'll try to keep updates consistent and regular - but uni is a pain and life likes getting in the way of things haha.**

**But yes, I felt there were too few ShikaNeji fics - I am seriously obsessed with this pairing after reading Break to Breathe by Okami Rayne, and if you haven't read it already, there is something wrong with you. Anyways, I present to you, It's Like Peeling Onions!**

**-Kavbj**

* * *

**It's Like Peeling Onions**

_Chapter One: Seconds_

They told her father they wanted her there to witness it. That, if she were to be their future heir, she needed to be fully aware of the process, the hand signals, the effects. And her father, _his uncle_, agreed without hesitation. And though she'd begged and cried alongside Hanabi - if they were going to make her watch something so cruel and dreadful, at least make it someone else - they'd, no, _her father_, had insisted that it be him.

That it be Neji.

She didn't even know what he'd done wrong, had been too scared and crushed at the time to even question _why_. Now, with the floorboards painfully flat against the curve of her folded knees and with her nerves making her feel sick, it was still the last thing on her mind. She could feel it in the back of her throat, like she was going to be ill. Her jaw was tight and her mouth felt weird - like she'd tasted something sour.

Her head was buzzing, so when they finally did list the 'charges', they went over her head. Didn't matter anyway. Even if she'd been focused and clear-headed, his eyes, so familiar and identical to her own, were boring into hers and they prevented all reasonable thoughts from crossing her mind.

He was in the centre of the room, circled by her, her father and the elders. Like her, his legs were folded beneath him, but his hands were flat on the floorboards, palms down in front of him, and his head was tilted back just enough that he could keep staring at her. He was bracing himself.

He resisted for all of 47 seconds, much to the frustration of the elders and the sorrow of her father. He wanted Neji to just _give in_. They wanted him to lie down like the dog he was.

47 seconds.

But then his fingernails started scraping along the floorboards as his fingers curled into fists. His back curved with a shudder and his lashes fluttered madly. His gaze finally dropped away from hers as, with a violent tremor, his body curled in on itself.

22 seconds later, he screamed the first of many. He fell sideways, hitting the floorboards hard, and writhed. His hands came up and ripped off his hitai-ate and the bandages underneath in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

84 seconds after his first scream, she rocketed to her feet, almost snapped her father's wrists as she ripped his hands apart, then skidded along on her knees, practically barrelling into Neji's convulsing form. The convulsions subsided quickly and she curled herself over his shaking body, cooing to him, hushing him, soothing him.

From the corner of her eye she saw someone moving and she screamed at them to stay the hell down and away. And they did, shocked by her outburst.

She looked down at her cousin's face, startled to see droplets on his cheeks. Tears. She was crying. When..? It didn't matter, she decided, though she cried harder when she realised that Neji had fallen completely still. She slipped her hand in front of his mouth because she couldn't even see the movements of his chest. There was a weak, uneven puff of air against her fingers and she relaxed a little.

Cradling Neji to her, she called out for her sister. Hanabi had promised to sit on the other side of the closed paper doors. She'd also promised her older sister that, no matter what she heard, she wasn't to come in unless Hinata said so.

Hanabi threw the doors open, tears running tracks down her cheeks, still dirty from her morning training. Her pearl eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. Moments later, she was sprinting through Konoha in search of a certain blond loudmouth.

* * *

Shikamaru leaned against the doorframe of the guest room, arms folded over his chest, and watched the prone figure on the bed. Neji's mocha hair was spread out across the pillow and the shinobi's chest, the occasional dark strand pooling in a pale clavicle. His hitai-ate lay on the bedside table, beside a glass of water that had yet to be sipped from.

Shifting, Shikamaru sighed and moved inside the room to lean against the wall.

His parents had been out when he'd opened the front door and come face-to-face with an inconsolable and incoherent Hinata and a furious and equally incoherent Naruto. In between her crying and his ranting, he'd noticed Neji, unconscious and paler than usual, slung over Naruto's back. He'd figured out what had happened when he'd spotted Neji's hitai-ate clutched tightly in Hinata's fist.

The curse seal was an ugly and terrible thing.

When his father had come home that night, he'd noticed the closed door to the guest room. The moment Shikamaru had explained that one unconscious Hyuuga Neji was occupying the bed, Shikaku's face had darkened with understanding. When his mother had returned an hour after his father, she'd fought hard against every motherly instinct within her and let Neji be at Shikamaru's request.

That had been six days ago. Neji hadn't woken once.

Sighing again, Shikamaru left the room and headed to the kitchen. He didn't know why Naruto thought it smart to bring Neji here. Apparently he'd thought that Shikamaru would have some goddamn strategy. Who the hell would have a goddamn strategy for this type of situation?

Admittedly, he had occasionally pondered about the infamous Hyuuga curse seal and its effects. He'd wondered plenty of times if Neji's had ever been activated before. He'd tried to imagine the pain, the sensations, but of course he couldn't. All of this, however, did not mean that he'd ever expected to have an unconscious Neji, practically comatose, in his guest bed.

Leaning back against the counter, Shikamaru tilted his head back with a sigh and closed his eyes. "How troublesome…"


	2. 3:43 am

**It's Like Peeling Onions**

_Chapter Two: 3:43 a.m._

Three days later, Shikamaru woke at the sound of a crash. Rolling onto his front, he checked the time and groaned. 3:43 a.m. Not for the first time, he cursed the fact that his bedroom was closest to the kitchen. He could hear someone opening and closing cupboards, moving crockery and shuffling through cutlery.

He lifted his pillow enough to slip his head under then curled his arms around his barricade, hoping to block out as much noise as possible. _Why_ either one of his parents was up at this time was - his eyes flew open and he shot up from under the pillow. Neji…?

Freeing himself from his tangled sheets, Shikamaru emerged from his room in time to see his father entering the kitchen. Glancing down the other end of the corridor, Shikamaru saw that his parents' bedroom door had been closed again. So his mother was still in bed.

It _was_ Neji.

Padding silently down the hallway, Shikamaru could hear his father's attempts at talking to Neji. "Neji, everything ok?" There was another crash and a pitiful mewl - Shikamaru's steps faltered upon processing that the noise came from _Neji_. "It's Shikaku, Shikamaru's father. You're at the Nara house, Shikamaru's house. Your cousin brought you here, with Naruto."

By now, Shikamaru had made it to the kitchen. "Dad," he called bluntly, not bothering to use the hushed, soothing tones his father had been. He gestured with his head for Shikaku to leave, glad when he did so without saying anything. He then waited until he'd heard the sound of his parents' door closing before stepping further into the kitchen.

How the hell was he expected to deal with a confused, injured, possibly delirious Neji? Again, battle strategies weren't going to help him here, and he was too lazy to bother dealing with people's problems so he couldn't claim experience of any kind. He growled softly. He was going to kill Naruto. The blond would have been better at this, yet Neji was thrust upon _him_ and he had to deal with it.

"Neji," he called sharply. He hadn't meant to sound so loud but his voice ricocheted off the walls and Neji winced.

The Hyuuga stilled for a moment before crouching to search through one of the lower cupboards. The kitchen was a mess. Food, cooking ingredients, cutlery, broken glass… _blood_. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. He could see the crimson liquid glistening in the moonlight and his gaze immediately darted between the cutlery and broken glass to Neji's bare feet and shaking limbs. The pale skin was torn and stained.

Standing much too fast, Neji stumbled backwards in an unusual display of ungracefulness, adding another deep cut to the sole of his foot. He didn't react, just fixed hazy white eyes on Shikamaru.

"Hey," Shikamaru murmured, his voice softer and more concerned than he had gone for. "Neji."

Neji blinked slowly.

Shikamaru noticed that the older shinobi was swaying. He opened his mouth to address it, then thought better of it and said instead: "Do you know who I am?" Immediately, he felt stupid for asking the question.

Lashes fluttering, Neji hummed and nodded his head slowly. "Shikamaru." He sounded dazed.

"Yeah, that's right." Shikamaru tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms. He cocked his hip. "You're at my place."

"Your father - your father said the s - the same."

_Good_, Shikamaru thought. _He's at least… _**_aware_**_ of things_. "Do you remember - " He broke off. As if Neji would remember _how_. He was bloody out of it. "Any idea why you're here?" Maybe Neji would put two and two together.

_Or not_, Shikamaru mused, watching as Neji turned away abruptly and stumbled over to another cupboard. He wrenched it open clumsily and searched through it frantically. The hysteria that Shikamaru had noted in Neji's actions before he'd called out to him returned full force.

"Neji?" Nothing. "Neji, what are you looking for?" When Neji overbalanced and fell back, somehow slicing his hand on a discarded knife, Shikamaru grit his teeth and stepped over to the older teen. He hoisted Neji up, only to sit the trembling Jounin in the corner. He crouched down in front of the other ninja and frowned. "What are you looking for?"

Tossing his head side to side slowly, Neji clawed at the tiles. Shikamaru reached out and grabbed one of Neji's wrists. His pulse was racing. Blood from the fresh slice was running down and spilling over Shikamaru's fingers. He watched as it ran down the length of Neji's arm, pooling in the crease of his elbow before dripping to the tiles.

"H-hurts."

Shikamaru looked up sharply. "What does, Neji?"

Neji lifted his free hand and clapped it over his forehead. "Don't look," he hissed, and Shikamaru held up his own free hand defensively before dropping his gaze.

"What hurts, Neji?" he asked, though he had a pretty good idea. "Does your head hurt?"

Neji hummed tiredly and Shikamaru felt the hand in his grip go slack. "Hurts, Shikamaru. Hurts, hurts, hurts," he repeated, mewling and keening and whimpering. He broke off and gave a surprised little cry when his leg jerked, accidentally kicking Shikamaru in the shin.

Wincing, Shikamaru stood and drew back, looking at the figure curled up on his kitchen floor. Neji looked so pathetic it was painful. He watched as Neji's arm jolted. He didn't have much control over his limbs, it would seem. The curse attacked the brain, so it was no surprise that Neji's motor functions and skills were less than stellar.

_Fuck those Hyuugas_, he hissed mentally, watching as Neji began to shake violently, watching as that proud, graceful body began to revolt against its owner.

He crouched down again. "It's ok, Neji, it's ok."

"_Hurts_. It hurts. Hurts, Shikamaru."

And then it clicked. Pain meds. That's what Neji had been searching for. "I know. I know it does. Hang on, I'll make it stop." Pushing against his knees with his palms, Shikamaru stood and crossed the kitchen, reaching up to open the cupboard above the fridge. He fished about, searching for some of his mother's damned herbs.

"Troublesome woman," he muttered under his breath when he finally found them. "Hide them all the way back there, why don't you?" Tilting the jar towards the moonlight filtering in through the window above the sink, he double checked the label then looked up to check on Neji, to assure the older ninja that things would be fine now.

Except Neji was lying on his side, unmoving

"Shit," Shikamaru hissed, crossing the room swiftly and dropping into a crouch. He pushed against Neji's shoulder, rolling the Hyuuga over enough to check his vitals. "Just when you finally wake up…" He sighed. "Troublesome. Now I have to carry your sorry ass back to the guest room." He eyed the pain meds again then focused back on Neji. "Troublesome Hyuuga."

* * *

Shikamaru was rudely awoken for a second time that morning by the sound of his mother pounding the soft side of her fist against his doorframe.

Why hadn't he remembered to close the door to his room?

"What?" he snapped, pushing himself up onto his forearms and twisting his head to look over his shoulder at his mother.

She threw a wet cloth at him and he pulled a face when it landed on his chest before sliding down to sit on his sheets. "Clean the kitchen. Your father and I are going out for breakfast. It's a war zone in there."

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Because your father and I are going out for breakfast," Yoshino repeated as Shikaku walked on past.

"Have fun, Shikamaru," he called, pulling his wife after him. "I'll let you know how it tastes."

Shikamaru continued glaring at where his mother had been standing long after he heard the front door close. Sighing, he turned over and flopped onto his back. "Troublesome Hyuuga." He draped an arm over his eyes and frowned. To say the proud Hyuuga hadn't been himself earlier that morning was an understatement. He'd showed _emotion_ for one thing.

Mumbling to himself, Shikamaru dragged himself from his bed and trotted into the kitchen.

Earlier, it'd been difficult to see the full extent of the damage Neji had reeked upon the Nara kitchen. Now, with the sun shining through the window at 8:30 in the morning, Shikamaru could only stop and stare. At least half of the cupboards were empty, their contents strewn across the floor and the countertop. The pantry doors were wide open, the shelves were a mess. The sugar had been knocked down somehow and there was an infestation of ants. The most troubling sight was the floor - more specifically, the blood stains. Bloody footprints tracked across the tiles wildly, mapping out Neji's panicked path.

Throwing the wet rag into the sink, Shikamaru grabbed the first aid kit - also situated in the cupboard above the fridge - and headed straight for what his parents were now referring to as 'Neji's room'. He should have checked Neji over after putting him back to bed.

Needless to say, Neji's hands and feet were rather bloodied. The cut on his right hand had left an impressive stain on the bed sheets. Jutting out his jaw, Shikamaru stared at the unconscious shinobi, feeling irrationally irritated with the situation.

"You owe me," he muttered as he began to clean Neji's skin of the dried blood. "I'm not kidding, Hyuuga." He paused in his work and sat back on his haunches, running his calculating eyes over Neji's form. He stopped at the curse seal. Neji had torn the skin around it, leaving fine red scratches to mar the pale forehead. "Damn you, Neji," Shikamaru murmured softly, brushing the pad of his thumb over the scratches. "Making me look after you like this. So troublesome."

Shikamaru started as a cruel, crushing grip wrapped around his wrist. Neji's eyes flew open, Byakugan activated.

"Ne- "

Neji ripped away from Shikamaru, hands flying to cover his eyes as he screamed and rolled onto his side.

"Shit!" Shikamaru stood quickly and forced Neji onto his back. "Neji, let me see." He wrapped his fingers around Neji's wrists, momentarily marvelling at how thin and pale they were, and tried to pull Neji's hands away from his eyes. "Damn it, Neji! Deactivate it! _Let it go_." When Neji began to struggle, Shikamaru swung himself up onto the bed and straddled the older male. "Let me see it, Neji. Let me help."

Neji choked out another cry and tried to buck Shikamaru off. He managed to free his hands from Shikamaru's grip long enough to perform the correct hand signs in order to reactivate the Byakugan.

"Stop it!" Shikamaru snapped, grabbing Neji's wrists again when the Hyuuga screamed for a second time. Pinning Neji's wrists to the mattress, Shikamaru watched the Byakugan recede as quickly as it'd been reactivated. Neji stared up at him, pearlescent eyes half-shuttered and hazy, mocha strands spread across the pillow, chest heaving, cheeks flushed. "Stop, Neji. Just stop. Stop fighting me."

"C-Can't - "

"Yes, you fucking can." A hard, deep breath shuddered through Neji. He shook his head weakly. Shikamaru could see the signs of the Neji from 3:43 a.m emerging again. "You've got to let yourself rest, Neji. No more destroying the kitchen, no more Byakugan. You hear me?"

"They wanted to kill me…"

Shikamaru froze. He felt his frown smooth out as dumb shock took place. "What?"

Neji's eyes slipped closed as he sighed. He'd pushed his body further past its limits in the past 12 hours than he ever had in his 17 years of life. _That_, Shikamaru noted, _is a massive testimony to the damage the curse seal can inflict_.

"They wanted to… kill me…" The Hyuuga exhaled quietly and said nothing more on the matter.

Shikamaru pulled back but didn't get off of Neji. He stared at the pained expression on that pale face, focused on the steady rise and fall of Neji's chest as he slumbered. His eyes narrowed sharply.

He needed some fucking answers.


	3. Answers

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews :) Enjoy the next instalment of It's Like Peeling Onions**

**-Kavbj**

* * *

**It's Like Peeling Onions**

_Chapter Three: Answers_

_"_Nara."

Shikamaru lifted his head and tilted it to the side, looking at Hiashi through lazy eyes. He fixed his slouch a little but kept his hands shoved in his pockets. He did manage to conjure up enough energy to bow slightly. He wasn't about to start a feud between clans over something stupid. "Hyuuga-sama."

Looking at Hiashi standing under the late morning sun, it was easy to picture the shadow of his twin, and even easier to see where Neji got his looks from. Hiashi, however, was a lot more relaxed in his refined image, whilst Neji seemed to be made up of hard lines and smooth planes and high cheekbones.

Shikamaru had a feeling that over a decade of bitterness and resentment had done that to the Hyuuga prodigy.

"I've been told you wish to see my daughter."

Shikamaru hummed. "Yes. I need to speak with her on some important matters."

Hiashi nodded. "And may I ask what these matters are?"

He smirked. "I'm afraid it will be Hinata's decision as to whether or not she tells you."

"Very well then."

There was silence as Shikamaru waited just outside the gates of the Main House. Hiashi was studying him, but Shikamaru pretended to be unaware. He'd been on a handful of missions with Neji before; he was used to the strange sensation of such ghostly eyes trying to pull him apart.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is Neji also home? I may need to speak to him later today."

"Unfortunately my nephew is unavailable at the moment. He is busy attending to some minor errands on my behalf."

"You would let your Branch Pet attend to matters that require the Head of the Hyuuga Household?"

Hiashi's eyes narrowed and Shikamaru battled against his inner rage. He'd only make things worse for Neji if he challenged his uncle. Still, it didn't surprise him that Hiashi was unaware of Neji's whereabouts. He only hoped that Hinata, Hanabi and Naruto hadn't copped too much shit for helping out.

"Shi-Shikamaru."

Leaning to the right, Shikamaru peered around Hiashi to see Hinata standing a few feet behind her father. "Yo, Hinata. Reckon we can talk for a bit?"

* * *

Eyes drifting down to where Hinata kept fidgeting with her fingers, Shikamaru tilted his head into his palm and lifted his tea to his lips. He blew the steam off the surface, watched if waft into the air, crawling in a fashion similar to his shadows, then took a sip. He followed Hinata's gaze, not surprised to see it resting on the guest room door.

Originally he'd intended to take her to somewhere they could sit comfortably, grab a bite to eat, whatever. Possibly drag Naruto into it too. He'd rethought that quickly. Neji would kill him if he found out he and Hinata were discussing his wellbeing in public, and Naruto was much too noisy. He'd get round to the blond loudmouth later on.

For now, Hinata was the one he'd deemed important.

"He's sleeping," Shikamaru said, for what was possibly the fourth time since he'd collected Hinata from the Main House. Truthfully, she'd saved him from what would have been a very cold and subtly cruel response from Hiashi, and he was secretly grateful. "He's getting there."

Hinata nodded stiffly and dropped her gaze to her hands. "Ano… what is it you wished to discuss with me?"

_No stuttering_, Shikamaru thought, rather impressed and kind of relieved. The stuttering played havoc with his patience, and he didn't want to snap at the poor girl.

"I a-assume it's ab-bout Neji-nii-san."

_Or not._

He managed a small, hopefully appeasing smile, though he felt it was probably more of a smirk. "You'd be assuming right, then. I need answers."

She nodded slowly and started fidgeting. He clenched his jaw and held his cup a little tighter, fighting hard not to tell her to sit fucking still.

"Why was it activated?"

"I-I don't know."

"You don't _know?" _She flinched and he sighed. "Sorry," he muttered, "it was a bit of a crazy morning."

She shook her head sternly and finally met his gaze. "No, I'm sorry. And th-thankful."

He didn't need to ask what for, and he found the situation rather awkward, so this time he dropped his gaze and shifted uncomfortably under her stare. Damn it, no wonder she fidgeted so much. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, so you don't have any idea?"

"N-No."

He sighed and looked off to the side, finding his gaze being drawn to Neji's room. Damn it, now even he was calling it Neji's room.

All of his questions circulated around why the curse was activated, but if he couldn't even get that answered, then he'd remain clueless for a longtime yet. He debated telling her what Neji had said about them wanting to kill him, but didn't think frightening her and stressing her even more was such a good idea.

_Fuck, this is so damn troublesome. _

They sat in silence for the next ten or so minutes. Shikamaru's thoughts ran circles in his mind, like a continuous loop. They were all questions - questions he couldn't get answers to. If Hinata couldn't answer them, then he'd have to wait until Neji was awake and lucid.

_But, let's be realistic here. He'll never answer me._

Eventually he'd settled onto the one question that had been bugging him from the beginning.

"Why me?"

Hinata glanced up from where she'd folded her hands on the low table. There was faint surprise in her pale eyes, and she smiled meekly. "Why y-you?" She licked her lips thoughtfully. "N-Naruto-kun suggested it. I th-thought it was al-also the best idea."

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief. "That's all there was to it? Granted, neither one of you were thinking all that clearly at the time, but there's got to be something better. It's been over a week now, Hinata."

"I'm s-sorry," she said quietly, ducking her head and lowering her gaze. "I c-can ask N-Naruto-kun to come - "

"Collect Neji?" Shikamaru scoffed and closed his eyes with a shake of his head. "That sounds stupid. Could you imagine Neji's reaction if he heard us talking about him like some shitty parcel?" he added, trying to calm her again.

She smiled weakly and politely lifted a hand to her lips, as though to make sure the laughter she was swallowing stayed down. She shook her head. "There re-really is no other re-reason." She smiled more strongly this time. It was soft and warm, and it made Shikamaru feel uncomfortable again. "It just seems right."

He sighed loudly and downed the last of his tea. It was lukewarm and disgusting. "Well, that's just fucked up. Guess I'll have to ask the idiot."

Hinata blinked. "Naruto-kun?"

Shikamaru smirked. "I was thinking Neji, but I guess I should ask both idiots." He sighed and ran his hands over his face with a groan. Peering through his fingers, he looked down at the wooden grain of the table. Hinata's quiet laugh made him smile before they were both quiet.

"Ano… I-Is there anything e-else I can help with?"

He furrowed his brow thoughtfully, not lifting his head just yet. Was there…? "Yes," he said, sitting up abruptly. "What does the curse affect?"

"S-Sorry?" She shook her head. "It targets the br-brain. Didn't you - "

"Yeah, I know that. But what exactly? Is there a particular area of the brain or…?" He looked at her seriously, then tilted his head contemplatively. He hadn't yet told her Neji had woken up. It wasn't exactly something to be excited about when the Hyuuga prodigy had been in shambles and damn near delirious. Still, he needed answers. "Neji's motor functions are pretty much gone - or, well, his control over them. Something's effed up his chakra control as well, because he almost burst my eardrums when he activated his Byakugan." Seeing her confused expression, he elaborated. "He screamed."

She nodded, then looked at him with wide eyes as she lurched forward. "Wait, Neji-nii-san woke up? When? Wa-was he ok?"

_I thought I was asking the damn questions._

"Yes, this morning, no. That's why I need to know what the curse does."

Hinata licked her lips and shook her head slowly. "I d-don't - "

"Know," he finished. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, figures."

He started when he heard her get up and his eyes snapped open. She was opening Neji's door and he pushed himself to his feet. "Hinata, wait. He's still asleep." Groaning, he stood and followed. Women were just troublesome, period.

Standing in the doorway, he crossed his arms over his chest and watched her tenderly brush loose strands of hair off of Neji's pale face. She was talking to him in hushed tones, murmuring so quietly that Shikamaru couldn't pick up on what she way saying. Turning to the side table, she picked up Neji's hitai-ate and ran her thumb back and forth over the leaf symbol whilst she gnawed at her bottom lip.

"C'mon," he said. "He's not going to wake up. Leave him be for now, yeah?" It came out harsher than he intended and he tipped his head back with a noisy exhalation. "Sorry, Hinata. Your idiot cousin woke me at quarter to four in the morning," he teased, smirking at her. He was relieved when she smiled back weakly and stood.

She uncurled Neji's fingers and slipped his hitai-ate into his hand, then curled his fingers around it.

_Just like when I found you that time…_

"I'd like to return home now."

"I understand," he murmured, standing back to let her out of the room. "I'll walk you back."

* * *

He walked Hinata back home. The trip was taken in silence, and he was completely fine with that. His mind was too cluttered for him to be able to focus on meaningless, polite conversation. He bid her a quiet goodbye and as he turned to leave, he caught sight of an ageing Hyuuga. When Hinata immediately dipped into a low bow, he assumed it was one of the elders.

The elder looked past Hinata to stare at Shikamaru, and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes in response. He tilted his chin up defiantly. Something about his guy set him off.

It didn't last long though as the elder kept walking and Hinata straightened up and ran inside.

Humming suspiciously, Shikamaru dug his hands into his pockets and headed on home.

* * *

That evening he replaced Neji's glass of water per his mother's request, and balanced a plate of crackers and fruits on the edge of the side table. At some point, Neji's grip on his hitai-ate had slipped. Shikamaru bent to pick it up, then set it down quietly beside the glass of water. Grumbling about troublesome demanding women who had soft spots for troublesome Hyuuga Branch Pets, Shikamaru then moved into the connecting bathroom to grab the old towels and grab Neji some clean ones.

_Just in case he decides to wake up again and destroy the bathroom this time_, Shikamaru thought sarcastically.

It wasn't until he walked back on through the bedroom that he realised a pair of sleepy opalescent eyes had been following him the whole time.

He stared down at Neji, then realised he was staring and quickly averted his gaze. He cleared his throat. "Uh, hey."

Neji blinked slowly, then hummed and moved to push himself up.

Shikamaru moved faster, however, and gently held the Hyuuga down. "Not - not just yet. Just rest, yeah?" He straightened up and swallowed. "So, uh, how you feeling?"

"Shit," Neji muttered, eyes slipping closed. His fingers twitched and his smooth brow furrowed as he opened his eyes to white slivers.

_No control is going to drive a person like you crazy._

Shikamaru snorted. "Yeah, I can imagine," he said, suddenly feeling more confident. "Want me to get you anything?"

Neji shook his head. By now, his fingers had formed fists.

"Well, there's food and water just here. That woman you probably heard yelling at me will cook you something if you want. She's gotta be useful for something," he muttered under his breath. He watched Neji, noticing the distant look in the older teen's ghostly eyes as he stared out the window. "I talked to Hinata today. And your uncle, briefly."

Neji stiffened at the mentioning of Hiashi and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. Ok, maybe he should have asked Hinata for more details as to what happened when the seal was activated.

"I'm going to see Naruto tomorrow. And I'll see Hinata again tomorrow, I think." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But they can't answer the questions I have. Not all of them, anyway."

Neji sighed. He sounded weary still, even after sleeping for so damn long. "And I can?"

"Well, you're the only one who knows _why_ your seal was activated. So, wanna tell me or shall I just annoy the hell out of you until you do?"

"You're breathing, aren't you?"

"I'm quite alive, yes," Shikamaru agreed, his tone rather icy in response to Neji's jibe. "I'm surprised you are. You told me this morning that they wanted to kill you."

Neji hummed and rolled onto his side. He closed his eyes. "Don't remember."

Shikamaru shook his head and watched Neji lull back to sleep. "Of course you don't."

* * *

He caught both Naruto and Hinata in town this time, and seeing as his parents were home, found a quiet little ramen stand for them to eat at. If Naruto wasn't answering a question, he was eating. It worked well.

"Why me?" he asked Naruto.

Naruto chewed thoughtfully and waved his chopsticks throughout the air. "Dunno."

Shikamaru grit his teeth. "Seriously?"

Naruto shrugged. "Hey, Hinata, you gonna eat that?" he asked, clicking his chopsticks in her direction.

The girl blushed to her roots and stuttered out a no.

"Naruto, focus," Shiakamaru snapped. "Why'd you bring him to my place? One of you has to have a reason. I tend to stay out of problems that aren't my own."

He watched, amazed as ever, as Naruto slipped into the serious side of his persona. "Neji kinda really needs you at the moment, Shikamaru. In case the fact that he's barely been conscious for the past week or so isn't enough proof for you."

Hinata interjected before Shikamaru could retort with something snippy. "I-it was a-all for Neji-nii-san." She immediately dropped her gaze to her lap when both Naruto and Shikamaru focused their attention on her. "H-He holds you in hi-high re-regard, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru felt both of his brows shoot up to his hairline. "Are you kidding me?"

_Even after that fucking failure of a mission?_

She panicked at his response. "N-no! He really d-does!" She nervously pushed her hair behind her ears. "A-And at the ti-time, you seemed like the b-best choice. Y-your house isn't t-too ce-central, and it's qu-quiet. P-plus, y-you - "

"You've got a good head on your shoulders," Naruto explained, taking over for Hinata much to both the Hyuuga heiress' and Shikamaru's relief. "And, you'll keep your mouth shut."

_Fair enough_.

"Well, if I'm gonna help him get back on his feet, I need to know what happened."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged glances, but neither one of them said anything.

"One of you spit the damned words out already," he snapped. Bloody Neji Hyuuga was making him temperamental - wonderful.

_Preferably Naruto. I'd like to hear all of it today, not by tomorrow evening._

As if tuning into Shikamaru's thoughts, Naruto spoke up. "They made Hinata watch - something to do with being the heir - then she made them stop, then sent Hanabi to get me, then we brought him to yours."

"Who activated it?"

"M-My father."

"Neji's uncle."

She nodded sadly.

"Neji's own fucking uncle? His dad's twin brother?"

"Y-Yes."

_Well shit, I knew the clan was messed up… And at least now I know why he flinched when I mentioned Hiashi._

"47 seconds."

Naruto and Shikamaru both stared at the shy girl.

"What?" Naruto asked, signalling for the owner to prepare him another bowl of noodles.

"47 s-seconds."

"What's 47 seconds?" Shikamaru asked seriously, feeling that there was something behind this. "Hinata?"

"How l-long Neji-nii-san re-resisted." She swallowed nervously and fidgeted with her fingers. "H-He screamed 22 se-seconds l-later, and I sto-stopped them 84 seconds l-later."

_153 seconds. Two and a half minutes. Of absolute agony._

"How long does it usually last? How long do they hold it for?"

"N-Not that lo-long. Usually ne-never m-more than a mi-minute." Tears were building in her eyes and Shikamaru almost started freaking out. He did _not_ deal with tears, especially not when they were from girls. He always fled and left Ino to Choji whenever she started bawling. He loved her, but he couldn't do it.

"How long does it take to kill someone?" Naruto asked curiously. Shikamaru would have face-palmed at Naruto's bluntness, but then the blond shot Hinata a warm smile and she smiled back weakly, wiping away her tears.

_Oh thank God._

"For s-some it's really qui-quick. For o-others, it's be-between two or th-three minutes. I-If they're str-strong, it's th-three to fi-five minutes." She looked at her palms. "I hate it," she whispered, her shoulders shaking. "I hate it, I hate it, _I hate it_."

While Naruto dealt with Hinata, Shikamaru slipped away and headed home.

It's quick for some. For others, it's between two or three minutes. If they're strong, it's three to five minutes.

_"They wanted to kill me…"_

Neji wasn't kidding. Surely they were aware of how long Neji could hold out - Shikamaru wouldn't be surprised if he was in the three to five minutes bracket, but then there was the terrifying realisation that the seal must have been activated for that long some time in the past for the elders to know how long Neji could hold out.

He almost ran back to Hinata to demand an answer, but chances were she didn't know.

There was a certain Hyuuga, however, who was sure to know.

* * *

"How long?" Shikamaru demanded, barging into the guest room. He slammed the door shut, blocking out his mother's voice as she called after him.

Neji jerked awake, disorientated. He fixed his white eyes on the shadow-nin and frowned tiredly. "Pardon?"

_He just woke up, he's practically been in a coma for the past week, his curse seal was activated, and he still sounds so polite and regal. Troublesome bastard._

"How long can you usually hold out? Hinata said there are three main brackets: quick, two to three minutes, or three to five minutes. Which are you?"

Neji shook his head and threaded his fingers through the length of his hair. "You talked to Hinata-sama?"

Shikamaru sighed noisily. "Yes, keep up. Which bracket, Neji?"

Neji's eyes closed as he exhaled. "I don't understand…"

Growling, Shikamaru crossed over to the bed and jostled Neji, forcing him awake. "Nap time's over, Neji. You said they wanted to kill you. How long can you hold out for?"

He could see it in Neji's eyes, see the cogs turning, the dust clearing, the memories returning, the fight building - everything. He'd worked with Neji before, but only now he realised how expressive those ghostly orbs could be.

"I'm at your house," Neji said slowly. His hand shot out, grabbing his hitai-ate. "Home. I need to return home."

"Hang on, Neji. Just - just calm down for a minute, will you?" He grabbed the older teen by the shoulders and forced him to lay back down again. "Answer my questions first and then I'll answer yours. How long?"

"Get off me."

"How long?"

"Nara!"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Fine then. How do _they_ know how long you can stand it?"

Neji growled and tried to roll away. A pale hand snapped up, aiming for his nose, but Shikamaru dodged it easily. Neji's speed and reflexes definitely weren't what they were.

"How old were you, huh? When they thought 'hey, let's see how long Neji can last'?"

He was triggering something, that much was for sure, because he hadn't seen that dangerously calm mask shatter like it was now since their first Chuunin exam. Of course, the fact that Neji had pretty much been in a coma, had just been rudely woken up and interrogated, and had just recently had his seal activated probably accounted for it too.

And suddenly Shikamaru felt suicidal.

But his own mask of tranquility and boredom was dropping off. The Hyuuga clan's traditions had always pissed off his father, and he was beginning to think it was a hereditary trait, because nothing got to him this badly. Ever.

"They tried to kill you just the other week, didn't they? Maybe they tried when you were younger, and realised you were one stubborn bastard, so they had their fun pushing you, seeing how far they could take it."

"Shut up and get off me. Now."

"Still so calm," he mocked. He swung himself up onto the bed and straddled Neji when he sensed the older teen was building up to something. "Just like them, I'm sure, when they tried to kill you. You're not_ getting this_, are you?"

"What's to get?" Neji snapped, glaring up at him.

"They tried to fucking kill you!" Shikamaru yelled, leaning in towards Neji's face.

"Why do you care?"

Shikamaru froze, face falling slack as he stared into narrowed pearlescent eyes. Why did he care? He didn't get involved in other people's problems. Ever. And yet, having to see Neji, weak and unconscious for the better part of the past 10 days, had set off so many triggers that suddenly he was willingly getting himself involved.

He should have taken up Hinata's offer when she said she would ask Naruto to come get Neji. But he didn't.

He should have taken Neji to the hospital day one, not listened to Hinata's begging him not to. But he didn't.

He shouldn't care so much. He shouldn't be getting attached to such a troublesome situation. He shouldn't be entertaining thoughts of helping Neji bring down his clan. He shouldn't be entertaining thoughts of making the Hyuugas pay. But he was.

If he wanted to, he could come up with some pretty lame excuses. The best one he could think of was that it pained him seeing Neji so weak like he was after the failed retrieval mission. Guilt made him do it. Guilt made him care. It worked, right?

Shaking his head, Shikamaru carefully withdrew from Neji. "You're right. I don't care." He pried Neji's hitai-ate from his pale fingers. "Go back to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

_I don't give a shit. I really don't. I swear I don't. It's too damn troublesome._

"Fuck it," he hissed as he left Neji's room and headed for his own. He glared down at Neji's hitai-ate and threw it down the hallway in a fit of frustration. "Maybe I do."


End file.
